Outdoor Ontario

Request for Information => Bird ID => Topic started by: David & Susan on March 24, 2009, 07:03:36 PM

Title: What kind of Woodpecker?
Post by: David & Susan on March 24, 2009, 07:03:36 PM: Hey everybody, Susan and I are pleased to say that our attempts to lure a woodpecker on to our property is starting to pay off!

I snapped some photos today:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24180399@N ... otostream/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/24180399@N06/3383657446/in/photostream/)

Now just one question: what species is it?

I suspected it to be a Downy judging from my Peterson's Guide, but where's the red markings on the head?

And his/her behaviour was interesting: it was "inspecting" the tree all over, pecking it here and there like it was looking for something....

Any help is always appreciated,

D.
Title: What is this?
Post by: Leslie Kinrys on March 24, 2009, 07:28:08 PM: Hi David and Susan,

Congrats. You have a White-breasted Nuthatch visiting your yard. Nuthatches move around tree trunks, sometimes going down head-first like a squirrel, looking for insects under the bark.They come to feeders for suet and black oilers. This bird has a white breast and face, blue-grey back and a black cap. Hope this helps.
Title:
Post by: David & Susan on March 24, 2009, 08:24:45 PM: Well don't we feel like newbies! ;)

It was poking at the tree in such a way, we swore it was a woodpecker!

I guess we would've lost money on that bet!

Okay then, a bit red faced, but indeed grateful! Many thanks.

D & S
Title:
Post by: JMCDA on March 24, 2009, 09:39:17 PM: You know...nuthatches and woodpeckers aren't related, but in my mind I kind of classify them together just because of their behaviour, food preferences and movement up and down the trees. The other day i watched a nuthatch land at the feeder and throw one peanut at a time off the edge until it found one it liked, then it took off.

Mr and Mrs Downy have returned to nest again in the tree behind us and today I watched one of them(too far away to tell) doing the same thing, but I think it was throwing sunflower seeds trying to get at a peanut. Gee they can be picky!

Similar but different, and fun to watch no matter what it is!

Joann
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Post by: David Shilman on March 27, 2009, 03:14:59 PM: Hate to nitpick, but that's a Red-breasted Nuthatch.
Title: WBN
Post by: Ron Luft on March 27, 2009, 04:48:19 PM: I'd have to be with Leslie on this'un. White Br. No? I see no red(rust, salmon whatever).
Title:
Post by: David Shilman on March 28, 2009, 08:14:18 AM: I'm wondering if we are somehow looking at different pictures. It's on what appears to be a silver maple (raggedy bark), and the bird is pretty horizontal, looking left. Same pose?

(How would I post a photo, rather than just a link?)
Title:
Post by: Faltorvo on March 28, 2009, 09:13:22 AM: The picture that pulls up when i hit the link is a white breasted without a doubt.

There is no black stripe running from the base of the beak,through the eye to the neck.
Title:
Post by: Turtlebird on March 28, 2009, 09:56:22 AM: Definately White-Breasted. Look at the markings on the head. The difference between the two is very clear. This particular White-Breasted Nuthatch does seem to have a reddish wash to its underside, which could cause confusion. But it is still 100% WBN.
Title:
Post by: David Shilman on March 28, 2009, 10:44:13 AM: OK, I'll defer to the majority. On my monitor, the bird is very red on it's entire underside. Granted, no distinct eye stripe, but kind of a remnant of one. Anyway, it looks like none of these on my monitor http://images.google.ca/images?gbv=2&hl ... =0&ndsp=21 (http://images.google.ca/images?gbv=2&hl=en&q=white+breasted+nuthatch&sa=N&start=0&ndsp=21) or any WBNU I've seen. They are usually pretty distinctive.